Carly Rae Jepsen: Voice Profile and Vocal Range (2022)

Vocal Range: C3 – G5 – D6^[1]https://therangeplanet.proboards.com/thread/655/carly-rae-jepsen

Vocal Fach: Light Lyric Soprano (3 octaves and a major second)

Vocal Rating: Singer-Songwriter

Analysis: Known worldwide for her single “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen has blossomed into an indie-pop starlet following the critical (and cult) success of 2015’s Emotion. What many casual listeners may not realize is that Jepsen is a rather versatile starlet: after becoming a finalist on Canadian Idol, Jepsen released a singer-songwriter album followed by a brief run on Broadway as the titular character in Cinderella. As such, Jepsen has more facets to her voice than what her iconic single leads on.

Jepsen has a light, sweet, and virtually weightless voice that’s bright and youthful from top to bottom. She often colors her voice with a breathy sound, but it has clarity throughout her range. And even at her most dramatic and forceful, her voice carries little bite (“Your Type”). Her girlish timbre, small vocal weight, and ease in her upper register all contribute to her fach as a soprano.

Her lower register is light and airy, but despite its weakness often fits the style of her music and maintains pitch accuracy (“Warm Blood”). As she ascends, her voice sheds some breathiness for a fuller sound as she enters her tessitura around G4 – C5. While her voice becomes throatier as she ascends past C5, she has a natural ease that carries her up to F#5 repeatedly in “Cut To The Feeling.” In the fifth octave, her mixed voice gains some push and rasp from some throatiness and tongue tension, but Jepsen balances this by brightening her voice. However, her intonation tends to falter at this extreme live, suggesting that she may have some trepidation in this part of her voice.

Jepsen’s voice finds its home in her head voice. Here, the bright and airy qualities of her voice shine, coloring her tone but preserving its clarity. Jepsen possesses a considerable upper extension showcasing a rounded sound up to D6 (“Solo“). Her falsetto is light and bright, maintaining some stamina (“When I Needed You”), register transitions, and ease. When aiming to create intimacy, Jepsen will sing with a breathy and light mixed voice (“Gimmie Love“).

While Jepsen may not have the most powerful or dynamic voice, she uses what she has well, and is a stronger vocalist than what she may initially lead on.

What do you think of Carly Rae Jepsen’s voice? Would you add anything to our analysis? Let us know by commenting below!